§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list(a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the harmonisation of the compilation of gross national product at market prices, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110275]
§ Ruth KellyThe information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. John Bercow, dated 30 April 2003:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the GNP Committee of the EU. (110275)The GNP Committee is made up of representatives from each member state and chaired by the Commission. The UK is usually represented by the Director of National Accounts Coordination Division of the Office for National Statistics (Senior Civil Service Band 1) accompanied by the Head of Europe and Dissemination Branch (SEO equivalent grade).Since January 2002 the Committee has met twice; on 24 June 2002 and 5 November 2002.The main work of the Committee is in ensuring the harmonisation of GNP for Member States and consistency with the conventions of the European System of Accounts (ESA). During 2002, the Committee received reports on the progress of the Commission's work on their detailed examination of the methods for estimating GNP in each member state. It also considered the best approach to complying with the ESA in the areas of consumption of fixed capital, insurance, reinvested income on foreign direct investment, artistic originals and illegal 374W activities. The committee also gave its opinion on the completion of the questionnaires on annual GNP estimates completed by member states.The Committee took a range of procedural decisions in 2002 which did not require communication to the House of Commons.